Oh, Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet, how do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways.
I thought it was just me. I thought it was a myth. But alas, tis true.
The Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet is truly a piece of sh*t. At
least the two I've seen/used in the last week.
I JUST went into my garage to pump some iron and thought I'd double check to
be sure (since I am a newbie at routing) that I was cutting against the bit
blade - not with. I fired up the router for .5 seconds and saw the rotation
and it was correct. I knew my problem (at least one problem) was that I was
trying to cut too much at a time.
Then.... I said "why don't I try to zero the bit depth (calibrate) which I
had never tried and so I lowered the bit to try and even it w/table top but
before it went parallel with the table top the whole router dropped out of
the holder! I saw why. In the time it had taken to install the bit and
rout about 8 feet of wood, the bit had slipped about 1/2" out of the collet!
I unscrewed the collet nut and pulled the bit out. I took the nut
completely off and the collet sides were squeezed together to where they
actually touched and the top of the collet was irregular looking as if
someone had tightened a collet nut around it (hehehehhehehe).
I am no physics guru but if the collet is already touching itself and I can
pull the bit out (although it was a tad tight) then it won't ever be tight
enough to hold the bit securely - even during ONE PASS OF ROUTING.
The bit slipping caused my cut to deepen and fluctuate even on a piece of
wood less than 2 ft.
I am convinced. I doubted but now I've seen the light. No, I am not a
Crapsman Hater Fundamentalist but I sure hate the 1.5HP router with 1/4"
collet now that I've spent 2 days with two of them. God.... to think that I
spent 2 days just trying to get the first one working only to discover the
collet was defective!
Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet to
another human being? How could I, in good conscience, sell it knowing the
bit is slipping as much as it is?
Or, is this all my imagination and I just didn't tighten the collet nut
enough?
Anyway, w/o the table and guard I can see that as being very dangerous.
I guess I can take it back to S... S... Sears (aghhhhhhh!) and demand a
refund due to the bit slippage and claim it doesn't work as advertised and
then take that $ and invest in one of those PCs.
Sigh..... I tried.
Tim
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I think Tom may actually have one of those Craftsman routers that has a
> tapered collet nut that squeezes the split hollow armature shaft. In that
> case, there is no real collet so to speak to get backwards.
>
>
>
Tim S.:
This is true. It does taper and get smaller as it goes up and CM said it
should be a very small difference between collet and shaft but mine is
squeezed so that the collet appears like someone took pliers and squeezed
the 3 parts together. I never came close to tightening the nut that hard.
I made sure I didn't overtighten because I could always tighten more but a
stripped collet would be a bad thing.
Tim
> "RM MS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Be sure you don't have the collet in Upside-Down, and also the tool bit
> > has to pass all the way through the collet or it won't close parallel
> > across its length/. In that case, the cuts in the collet touch together
> > at one end and squeeze the end of the bit at the other. Collet assumes a
> > tapered shape, thus not holding the bit tightly.
> >
>
>
Be sure you don't have the collet in Upside-Down, and also the tool bit
has to pass all the way through the collet or it won't close parallel
across its length/. In that case, the cuts in the collet touch together
at one end and squeeze the end of the bit at the other. Collet assumes a
tapered shape, thus not holding the bit tightly.
The real shame is that there was a time when Craftsman tools were of
excellent quality.
I have a Craftsman router that I bought in 1964. I've replaced bearings
and brushes but it keeps on working well. Many times I still reach for
it over my DeWalt, Bosch and Makita routers.
Phil
Tim Simmons wrote:
> Oh, Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet, how do I hate thee?
>
> Let me count the ways.
>
> I thought it was just me. I thought it was a myth. But alas, tis true.
> The Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet is truly a piece of sh*t. At
> least the two I've seen/used in the last week.
>
> I JUST went into my garage to pump some iron and thought I'd double check to
> be sure (since I am a newbie at routing) that I was cutting against the bit
> blade - not with. I fired up the router for .5 seconds and saw the rotation
> and it was correct. I knew my problem (at least one problem) was that I was
> trying to cut too much at a time.
>
> Then.... I said "why don't I try to zero the bit depth (calibrate) which I
> had never tried and so I lowered the bit to try and even it w/table top but
> before it went parallel with the table top the whole router dropped out of
> the holder! I saw why. In the time it had taken to install the bit and
> rout about 8 feet of wood, the bit had slipped about 1/2" out of the collet!
>
> I unscrewed the collet nut and pulled the bit out. I took the nut
> completely off and the collet sides were squeezed together to where they
> actually touched and the top of the collet was irregular looking as if
> someone had tightened a collet nut around it (hehehehhehehe).
>
> I am no physics guru but if the collet is already touching itself and I can
> pull the bit out (although it was a tad tight) then it won't ever be tight
> enough to hold the bit securely - even during ONE PASS OF ROUTING.
>
> The bit slipping caused my cut to deepen and fluctuate even on a piece of
> wood less than 2 ft.
>
>
> I am convinced. I doubted but now I've seen the light. No, I am not a
> Crapsman Hater Fundamentalist but I sure hate the 1.5HP router with 1/4"
> collet now that I've spent 2 days with two of them. God.... to think that I
> spent 2 days just trying to get the first one working only to discover the
> collet was defective!
>
>
> Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet to
> another human being? How could I, in good conscience, sell it knowing the
> bit is slipping as much as it is?
>
> Or, is this all my imagination and I just didn't tighten the collet nut
> enough?
>
>
> Anyway, w/o the table and guard I can see that as being very dangerous.
>
> I guess I can take it back to S... S... Sears (aghhhhhhh!) and demand a
> refund due to the bit slippage and claim it doesn't work as advertised and
> then take that $ and invest in one of those PCs.
>
>
> Sigh..... I tried.
>
> Tim
>
>
Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
Tim Simmons wrote:
>
> Oh, Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet, how do I hate thee?
>
> Let me count the ways.
>
> I thought it was just me. I thought it was a myth. But alas, tis true.
> The Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet is truly a piece of sh*t. At
> least the two I've seen/used in the last week.
>
"Tim Simmons" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
<SNIP>
> I guess I can take it back to S... S... Sears (aghhhhhhh!) and demand a
> refund due to the bit slippage and claim it doesn't work as advertised and
> then take that $ and invest in one of those PCs.
This is what I did when my 4 year old Craftsman router starting
dropping bits into my wood. They gave me about ~$30 credit toward a
PC, which has *never* had this problem.
No. Trade the Craftsman in on a PC.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:Z6N5b.1304$%[email protected]...
>
> "Pat Barber" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
>
>
> Avoid PC also...?...!!!!!
>
>
"Tim Simmons" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> This is true. It does taper and get smaller as it goes up and CM said it
> should be a very small difference between collet and shaft but mine is
> squeezed so that the collet appears like someone took pliers and squeezed
> the 3 parts together. I never came close to tightening the nut that hard.
> I made sure I didn't overtighten because I could always tighten more but
a
> stripped collet would be a bad thing.
>
>
> Tim
>
Sorry TOM,,, not Tim
Obviousely a
Manufacture defect.
"Joel Jacobson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4"
collet
> to another human being?
>
> My first router in the 1960's was a Sears. It was poorly designed and
> cumbersome, but it worked okay -- just a pain-in-the-ass to use. Over time
I
> got several other routers with 1/2" collets, and started using 1/2" shank
> bit whenever possible. I gave my unused Sears router and a handful of 1/4"
> HSS bits to a guy who didn't have a router.
>
Tim S.:
Yeah, I want one now w/a 1/2" collet.
Joel:
> A few days later he came to my house -- and gave me an old, pristine
Stanley
> 5C. I told him I wasn't expecting anything in return for the router, but I
> sure as Hell wasn't going to turn down the plane.
>
> The plane is a gem, and I used it just last week on twelve seats for
Windsor
> chairs.
>
Tim S.:
Maybe I'll give mine away if I can't get a refund (prob can't even tho it
just isn't working out).
Tim
;~)
I was just yankin his chain...
"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:5oN5b.356225$uu5.70152@sccrnsc04...
> No. Trade the Craftsman in on a PC.
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:Z6N5b.1304$%[email protected]...
> >
> > "Pat Barber" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
> >
> >
> > Avoid PC also...?...!!!!!
> >
> >
>
>
not all PC use the 2 wrench system. ever seen a 7529? It's got a push
button lock.
dave
Chris Merrill wrote:
> Tim Simmons wrote:
>
>> I am no physics guru but if the collet is already touching itself and
>> I can
>> pull the bit out (although it was a tad tight) then it won't ever be
>> tight
>> enough to hold the bit securely - even during ONE PASS OF ROUTING.
>
>
> Sounds like a manufacturing defect, to me. Every company has them, as
> evidenced by the plethora of 'refurb' tool outlets.
>
> I've had a handful of Craftsman tools. The 1.5hp 1/4" collet router is
> the only one that I will keep. It works quite nicely. Honestly.
>
> I must confess, I bought a Triton for use in a table - primarily because I
> didn't want to invest any more money in 1/4" bits and I wanted easier depth
> adjustment in a router table - and the Triton was cheaper than the various
> router-lift systems (considering I also would need to buy new router to
> work with them).
>
> One thing that I will argue strongly in favor of the Craftsman (and against
> the PC) is the ease of bit changes. Maybe if you grew up with a PC in your
> hands then the two-wrench system isn't so bad. But after starting with
> a Craftsman - the only opinion I can hold is that the two-wrench change is
> the biggest engineering screw-up in history. I refused to buy a PC because
> of the lack of such a simple feature.
>
>
Just after I hit send, it occurred to me. This is Leon, he knows better.
I've been trolled. Good catch. Want your hook back? :)
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ;~)
>
> I was just yankin his chain...
>
>
>
> "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:5oN5b.356225$uu5.70152@sccrnsc04...
> > No. Trade the Craftsman in on a PC.
> > "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:Z6N5b.1304$%[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Pat Barber" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
> > >
> > >
> > > Avoid PC also...?...!!!!!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
ROTFLMAO......
No... you earned it ..go ahead and keep it... ;~)
"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:JFN5b.353454$Ho3.52581@sccrnsc03...
> Just after I hit send, it occurred to me. This is Leon, he knows better.
> I've been trolled. Good catch. Want your hook back? :)
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > ;~)
> >
> > I was just yankin his chain...
> >
> >
> >
> > "CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:5oN5b.356225$uu5.70152@sccrnsc04...
> > > No. Trade the Craftsman in on a PC.
> > > "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:Z6N5b.1304$%[email protected]...
> > > >
> > > > "Pat Barber" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > > Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Avoid PC also...?...!!!!!
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
I think Tom may actually have one of those Craftsman routers that has a
tapered collet nut that squeezes the split hollow armature shaft. In that
case, there is no real collet so to speak to get backwards.
"RM MS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Be sure you don't have the collet in Upside-Down, and also the tool bit
> has to pass all the way through the collet or it won't close parallel
> across its length/. In that case, the cuts in the collet touch together
> at one end and squeeze the end of the bit at the other. Collet assumes a
> tapered shape, thus not holding the bit tightly.
>
I've got a 1HP Craftsman router that I've had more than a decade, still
works fine. I've got a newer 3.5HP Craftsman router as well and it's seen a
lot of use in my router table. The big router recently quit, and after a
little troubleshooting, I found the switch assembly was clogged with
sawdust. I leave the switch locked "on" all the time and use a switch on
the table to turn it on/off. A little cleaning, and it's working fine
again.
I've got a Porter Cable router at home and an older Bosch and a new Dewalt
router at work. All work fine. The new Dewalt has the similar style of
height adjustment as my oldest Craftsman but has more slop.
All my routers work fine. All have pros & cons. Some features of the
Craftsman work better than my other brands. Note that Sears sells a number
of tools that all carry the same Craftsman name. Some are considered entry
level, some are better. The two Craftsman routers I have never slip router
bits, but may have a completely different collet system than yours.
Bottom line, don't be jaded on a brand by one bad experience. I could bore
you even further with problems I've had with Jet, Black&Decker (aka Dewalt),
Porter Cable, Grizzly, etc. None are perfect. Buy another brand, but
expect to find other issues...
Robert
"Tim Simmons" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Oh, Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet, how do I hate thee?
>
> Let me count the ways.
>
> I thought it was just me. I thought it was a myth. But alas, tis true.
> The Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet is truly a piece of sh*t. At
> least the two I've seen/used in the last week.
>
> I JUST went into my garage to pump some iron and thought I'd double check
to
> be sure (since I am a newbie at routing) that I was cutting against the
bit
> blade - not with. I fired up the router for .5 seconds and saw the
rotation
> and it was correct. I knew my problem (at least one problem) was that I
was
> trying to cut too much at a time.
>
> Then.... I said "why don't I try to zero the bit depth (calibrate) which
I
> had never tried and so I lowered the bit to try and even it w/table top
but
> before it went parallel with the table top the whole router dropped out of
> the holder! I saw why. In the time it had taken to install the bit and
> rout about 8 feet of wood, the bit had slipped about 1/2" out of the
collet!
>
> I unscrewed the collet nut and pulled the bit out. I took the nut
> completely off and the collet sides were squeezed together to where they
> actually touched and the top of the collet was irregular looking as if
> someone had tightened a collet nut around it (hehehehhehehe).
>
> I am no physics guru but if the collet is already touching itself and I
can
> pull the bit out (although it was a tad tight) then it won't ever be tight
> enough to hold the bit securely - even during ONE PASS OF ROUTING.
>
> The bit slipping caused my cut to deepen and fluctuate even on a piece of
> wood less than 2 ft.
>
>
> I am convinced. I doubted but now I've seen the light. No, I am not a
> Crapsman Hater Fundamentalist but I sure hate the 1.5HP router with 1/4"
> collet now that I've spent 2 days with two of them. God.... to think that
I
> spent 2 days just trying to get the first one working only to discover the
> collet was defective!
>
>
> Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet
to
> another human being? How could I, in good conscience, sell it knowing the
> bit is slipping as much as it is?
>
> Or, is this all my imagination and I just didn't tighten the collet nut
> enough?
>
>
> Anyway, w/o the table and guard I can see that as being very dangerous.
>
> I guess I can take it back to S... S... Sears (aghhhhhhh!) and demand a
> refund due to the bit slippage and claim it doesn't work as advertised and
> then take that $ and invest in one of those PCs.
>
>
> Sigh..... I tried.
>
> Tim
>
>
>
I'd much rather use two wrences. I'd much rater hold on to another wrench
than try to hold the body of the router.
"Chris Merrill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> One thing that I will argue strongly in favor of the Craftsman (and
against
> the PC) is the ease of bit changes. Maybe if you grew up with a PC in
your
> hands then the two-wrench system isn't so bad. But after starting with
> a Craftsman - the only opinion I can hold is that the two-wrench change is
> the biggest engineering screw-up in history. I refused to buy a PC
because
> of the lack of such a simple feature.
>
>
> --
> ************************************
> Chris Merrill
> [email protected]
> (remove the ZZZ to contact me)
> ************************************
>
[email protected] (RM MS) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Can't handle 2 wrenches? Please, Chris (and I am going to call you a
> name you are quite probably very accustomed to hearing) Dude: Ever hear
> of a "spindle lock"?
Er,.. Bob? I think that *is* his complaint - the PC doesn't have a
spindle lock.
I happen to have both the aformentioned Craftsman router AND an old
Rockwell router (same as the PC). I love the Rockwell EXCEPT for the
fact that it doesn't have a spindle lock. I was able to purchase a
1/2" collet for it - something I COULDN'T do for my Craftsman.
-Chris
No,it is not right. The ID of that collet should be no more than .0005
larger than the shank of the bit. If the variation is much more than that,
gripping power is compromised. If it was made correctly, it's movement when
tightening would be so slight it would be impossible to bend it. It was made
wrong.
Wrote message news:[email protected]...
>
> Did that. It still slipped and the collet looked irregular and all
> squeezed together at the slits after I removed the nut and that doesn't
> sound correct to me (even though I put the nut on correctly - not
> misaligned) but you know what? I'm over it. I am either getting $ back
or
> creating an assembly A (see prev reply) out of it. I've lost days
fighting
> this thing.
"Pat Barber" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sears now carries Porter Cable....do the right thing.
Avoid PC also...?...!!!!!
"Elmar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Man I can't count the number of threads on this board where if you
> don't buy JET, DELTA or others, you are buying JUNK.
>
> Some people here have more money than common sense or SKILL! And if
> that offends you, you likely fall into one of these two categories.
Yeah... some people believe the Incra fence is the greatest...
No, I would not avoid PC, just that, as I was once kindly reminded here:
this is REC woodworking, and I am trying to bring REALITY to the certain
faction of this Spenders Group that seems to look down on certain brands
of tools. It's not the tools, girls, IT'S YOU who are making the
mistakes. Mistakes are OK. Make a lot of them, I mean it. Because of
them, you will develop methods and shortcuts and intimacy with your own
tools that cannot be rectified by spending I don't care how much money
on anything. Do more. Do it a hundred times. You Will Find The Way To Do
It On The Stuff You Already Own.
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
... snip of generally insulting tripe
> them, you will develop methods and shortcuts and intimacy with your own
> tools that cannot be rectified by spending I don't care how much money
> on anything. Do more. Do it a hundred times. You Will Find The Way To Do
> It On The Stuff You Already Own.
>
You're right, I figured out that the way to get my Craftsman pad
sander to actually remove wood was to unplug it and use it as a manual
sanding pad. Problem was, the weight of the useless motor used more of
my energy than simply using a block of wood for the same purpose and to
the same effect.
Bottom line, some of us are not zealots, but have been burned by tools
that just absolutely do not work for the function for which they are
sold. When we have found that, we try to share that information with
others so that they don't waste their money as we did. Note, there is
absolutely nothing, zip, zilch, nada, that I could have done that would
have made that C*man sander perform for the purpose for which it was
sold. It was not my technique, it was not my ability, it was the fact
that this vibrating piece of screaming crap was not designed to perform
its function. Not only did this piece of crap not work, I was convinced
by my experience with it that electric sanders were pretty much
worthless and was resigned to hand sanding all of my projects. It
wasn't until my wife insisted that I get something to speed things along
on a project that was important to our household (i.e. finishing the
nursery) that I tried a PC 333 ROS. What a difference! This sander
actually took off wood!
Had the same experience with a Sears Jig Saw, it tried to vibrate and
scream the wood apart -- regardless of the blades I bought for it.
OTOH, the Sears electric drill I have has performed for almost 20 years,
the only complaint I have about it is that the chuck doesn't engage very
well with the chuck key -- but that is a problem that can be worked
around.
Mark & Juanita wrote:
> that this vibrating piece of screaming crap was not designed to perform
> its function. Not only did this piece of crap not work, I was convinced
Vibrating piece of screaming crap... I just want you to know that that one
made me blow a cracker out my nose. It hurts.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
Confirmed post number: 17582 Approximate word count: 527460
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man I can't count the number of threads on this board where if you
don't buy JET, DELTA or others, you are buying JUNK.
Some people here have more money than common sense or SKILL! And if
that offends you, you likely fall into one of these two categories.
The idea behind this board should be to HELP others. And help others
with what they HAVE and don't knock them because they didn't spend $2k
for a saw and fence.
This board has got to be the worst for that. One good thing about
when I had my Ryobi Saw was the Ryobi tools forum. You should see
what some of these WOODWORKERS have made with, what most people here
think is, an underpowered or hobby saw. If they can do it with a
$279.00 saw just imagine what they could do with the tools that the
"Pros" here have?!?!?
And for God's sakes, if you HAVE NOT USED THE TOOL, don't say it's
junk. If you have NO experience using it....SAY SO!!!
[email protected] (RM MS) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> No, I would not avoid PC, just that, as I was once kindly reminded here:
> this is REC woodworking, and I am trying to bring REALITY to the certain
> faction of this Spenders Group that seems to look down on certain brands
> of tools. It's not the tools, girls, IT'S YOU who are making the
> mistakes. Mistakes are OK. Make a lot of them, I mean it. Because of
> them, you will develop methods and shortcuts and intimacy with your own
> tools that cannot be rectified by spending I don't care how much money
> on anything. Do more. Do it a hundred times. You Will Find The Way To Do
> It On The Stuff You Already Own.
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 04:34:13 GMT, "Tim Simmons"
<[email protected]> queried:
>Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet to
>another human being? How could I, in good conscience, sell it knowing the
>bit is slipping as much as it is?
I was faced with the same dilemma - the answer was no. The two Sears
routers sat in my office for two years (they did not belong in the
shop as they are not woodworking tools).
There are a number of things you can do with Sears routers. Here is
Steve Wallace's classic solution:
>Yes, you were a victim of one of the most dangerous POSs out there:
>the cheap-ass Crapsman router. (it's okay, you're among friends.
>This exact same thing has happened to most of us)
>Here's how you fix it so that this "tool" won't hurt you. Obtain
>a 1/4" eyescrew about 2 inches long. Tighten it in the chuck
>very tightly. This is assembly A. Mix one bag of mortar with
>enough water to obtain a consistencey like peanut butter. Place
>assembly A in the box that your new PC 690 came in, with the eye
>screw sticking out of the box. Fill the box, with assemply A
>inside, to the rim with the mortar that you mixed previously.
>Allow the mortar to set at least 8 hours. Attach several feet
>of chain to the eyescrew. Tie a 50 foot rope to the chain.
>To use, tie the loose end of the rope to your boat. Chuck
>it over the side when you get to you favorite fishin area.
>1) ARHA--Automatic Random Height Ajustment. Feature exclusive to
>cheap Crapman routers which causes the depth setting to change by
>a random amount at a random time, while the bit is spinning.
Steve was the creator of the "ARHA" term.
When I was faced with the same dilemma, I finally broke down,
swallowed my pride and asked the wreck. For the answered, see the
following thread on Google:
http://www.google.ca/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=i3dtav08cne182nntdm6nodt1ciiguu713%404ax.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dethics%2Bgroup:rec.woodworking%2Bauthor:zanasi%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Di3dtav08cne182nntdm6nodt1ciiguu713%25404ax.com%26rnum%3D1
or do an advanced search with "Ethics of selling Searz routers?" as
the subject.
Luigi
Replace "no" with "yk" twice
in reply address for real email address
> Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet
to another human being?
My first router in the 1960's was a Sears. It was poorly designed and
cumbersome, but it worked okay -- just a pain-in-the-ass to use. Over time I
got several other routers with 1/2" collets, and started using 1/2" shank
bit whenever possible. I gave my unused Sears router and a handful of 1/4"
HSS bits to a guy who didn't have a router.
A few days later he came to my house -- and gave me an old, pristine Stanley
5C. I told him I wasn't expecting anything in return for the router, but I
sure as Hell wasn't going to turn down the plane.
The plane is a gem, and I used it just last week on twelve seats for Windsor
chairs.
"Tim Simmons" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Oh, Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4" collet, how do I hate thee?
>
Tim,
Yer preachin' to the choir on this one.
I've done the same as JOAT - put the POS in a router table and leave
it. Seems that turning it upside-down defeats the ARHA feature.
-Chris
"Chris Merrill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tim Simmons wrote:
> > I am no physics guru but if the collet is already touching itself and I
can
> > pull the bit out (although it was a tad tight) then it won't ever be
tight
> > enough to hold the bit securely - even during ONE PASS OF ROUTING.
>
> Sounds like a manufacturing defect, to me. Every company has them, as
> evidenced by the plethora of 'refurb' tool outlets.
>
> I've had a handful of Craftsman tools. The 1.5hp 1/4" collet router is
> the only one that I will keep. It works quite nicely. Honestly.
>
> I must confess, I bought a Triton for use in a table - primarily because I
> didn't want to invest any more money in 1/4" bits and I wanted easier
depth
> adjustment in a router table - and the Triton was cheaper than the various
> router-lift systems (considering I also would need to buy new router to
> work with them).
>
> One thing that I will argue strongly in favor of the Craftsman (and
against
> the PC) is the ease of bit changes.
Tim S.:
I will not be changing bits other than to replace it when it gets dull so
that won't really be much of a concern for me. But yeah, 2 wrenches....
sounds like a job for Captain Ambi Dextrious.
Chris:
Maybe if you grew up with a PC in your
> hands then the two-wrench system isn't so bad. But after starting with
> a Craftsman - the only opinion I can hold is that the two-wrench change is
> the biggest engineering screw-up in history. I refused to buy a PC
because
> of the lack of such a simple feature.
>
>
> --
> ************************************
> Chris Merrill
> [email protected]
> (remove the ZZZ to contact me)
> ************************************
>
IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY...
May I say again that I am sorry with my confusion of your name....
TIM not Tom... I think.. :~)
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Tim Simmons" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>
> > This is true. It does taper and get smaller as it goes up and CM said
it
> > should be a very small difference between collet and shaft but mine is
> > squeezed so that the collet appears like someone took pliers and
squeezed
> > the 3 parts together. I never came close to tightening the nut that
hard.
> > I made sure I didn't overtighten because I could always tighten more
but
> a
> > stripped collet would be a bad thing.
> >
> >
> > Tim
> >
>
>
> Sorry TOM,,, not Tim
>
> Obviousely a
> Manufacture defect.
>
>
>
I had one for almost a year before I realized that I had the same
problem (because of this newsgroup, BTW). I took it back and they
exchanged it and some cash for a more expensive model. I found that none
of the Sears router accessories would work with that particular unit, so
they gave me a refund. I went elsewhere and bought the PC combo and have
been very happy with it.
Tim Simmons wrote:
>"Joel Jacobson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>>Question: Is it ethical to sell a Crapsman 1.5HP router with 1/4"
>>>
>>>
>collet
>
>
>>to another human being?
>>
>>My first router in the 1960's was a Sears. It was poorly designed and
>>cumbersome, but it worked okay -- just a pain-in-the-ass to use. Over time
>>
>>
>I
>
>
>>got several other routers with 1/2" collets, and started using 1/2" shank
>>bit whenever possible. I gave my unused Sears router and a handful of 1/4"
>>HSS bits to a guy who didn't have a router.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Tim S.:
>
>Yeah, I want one now w/a 1/2" collet.
>
>Joel:
>
>
>>A few days later he came to my house -- and gave me an old, pristine
>>
>>
>Stanley
>
>
>>5C. I told him I wasn't expecting anything in return for the router, but I
>>sure as Hell wasn't going to turn down the plane.
>>
>>The plane is a gem, and I used it just last week on twelve seats for
>>
>>
>Windsor
>
>
>>chairs.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Tim S.:
>
>Maybe I'll give mine away if I can't get a refund (prob can't even tho it
>just isn't working out).
>
>Tim
>
>
>
>
There is no separate collet on these routers. The collet is the motor
shaft itself.
Tim Simmons wrote:
>"RM MS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>Be sure you don't have the collet in Upside-Down,
>>
>>
>
>Tim S.:
>
>There are 3 slits in the collet at the top. Are you saying there are three
>more slits in the bottom so it is easy to put it in the wrong way? I didn't
>ever remove it to begin with. It was in from the factory with the
>threadings and slits at the top.
>
>RM:
> and also the tool bit
>
>
>>has to pass all the way through the collet or it won't close parallel
>>across its length/. In that case, the cuts in the collet touch together
>>at one end and squeeze the end of the bit at the other. Collet assumes a
>>tapered shape, thus not holding the bit tightly.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Tim S.:
>
>Sort of lost me. I don't know how I could have the collet in upside down if
>the threads and slits are visible at the top (where bit goes in) of the
>collet.
>
>Please clarify if you can.
>
>Tim
>
>
>
>